A driver should be fined only if he is not ready to move his car from a no-parking area, say traffic experts

Instead of towing the car with a woman, Rakhi Mali, seated in it with her child, traffic constable Shashank Rane, should have just issued them a challan, said experts.

Former traffic officials said commuters’ safety should be a priority. A driver should be fined only if he is not ready to move his car from a no-parking area. “In cases where the driver is absent and the car is blocking traffic, the constable can tow it. But if the driver is ready to move the vehicle, he should be let off with a fine,” said YP Singh, former IPS officer-turned-lawyer.

Even if the woman was not inside, the constable had no right to order towing as her husband was ready to pay the fine. “Towing is done by private contractors, not constables. In some cases, the constables commission it out of their vested interests,” said Singh.

Vijay Kamble, who retired as the director general of the anti-corruption bureau, said, “People often park haphazardly in the middle of roads or even double park. If a citizen feels the action is unfair, he can write to the superior of the traffic chowky. A departmental inquiry will be ordered and punishment will be decided based on its report.”

Commenting on the new video, Kamble said, “Even if the woman sat inside the car after the cop started towing, the constable should have stopped immediately. If she was already inside, the constable should never have towed it.”